


Avengers Ascending

by ashleyeleigh



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Female Character of Color, Friendship, Gen, Male Character of Color, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-20
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 09:12:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3972307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashleyeleigh/pseuds/ashleyeleigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a few months since the Avengers defeated Ultron. The current line up of Avengers have settled into a groove. Well, except for the fact that no one knows what to say to Wanda. And then there's a woman in New Orleans with powers like nothing they've ever seen before...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome Back

“What are we going to do about Wanda?”

Leaning back in a booth in the darkened corner of a bar, Natasha rolled her eyes. “How many times are you going to ask me that question Steve? I have no idea.”

“Maybe the thirteenth’s time the charm or something,” Steve mumbled. Just his mopey, super soldier serum-enhanced self took up about half the booth. “I’ve tried everything and I’m afraid I’m all out of ideas. She’s doing so well, but she just won’t…engage.”

“Yeah, she’s not much of a conversationalist, but talk is cheap.”

“I can’t even tell if she likes being here with us half the time.”

“Is that really even a problem?” Natasha asked. “We work together. We don’t all have to be friends.”

“We’re not just co-workers Nat. We’re Avengers.” He looked like he was on the verge of a rousing speech Natasha was not in the mood for. Thankfully, Sam then walked up with a round of drinks.

“This is supposed to be a welcome back party, but you two are not exactly providing a fun party atmosphere,” he said. “What’s going on?”

Natasha grabbed her drink. “This one’s worried about Wanda.”

“Maybe concerned is a better word,” Steve mumbled. “And you should be too.”

“I’m gone for a week, and you’re stumped by the most obvious problem in the world?” Sam asked. Shaking his head, he slid into the booth next to Natasha.

“Well, what am I missing?” Steve asked.

“She almost helped end the world, her brother died and now she’s stuck in the middle of nowhere New York with a super soldier from 1945, an assassin and an android,” Sam said. “She’s sad and she’s lonely.”

“If anyone gets that, it’s me,” Steve said. “I try to talk to her all the time and I get nothing.”

“Well, you don’t so much talk to her as throw her more toys to play with,” Natasha said. “She practically has her own wing at HQ by now.”

“At least I try,” Steve said. “The last time you spoke to her you hit her in the head with a ball and shouted ‘Catch!’. We weren’t playing a game.”

Natasha shrugged. “Fine, maybe I can do better. I never know what to say to her. She’s so weird.”

“So what if she’s weird? Maybe she’s weird because she’s lonely.” Sam gestured to them both, drink in hand. “I know you’ve both been there. And you, just like her, needed time. So chill out, stop throwing shit at her head and let her breathe.”

Natasha and Steve both mumbled in agreement.

"Have I solved all your problems now?” Sam asked. “Can we talk about Maria and I kicking HYDRA ass in Greece? These pictures are burning a hole in my phone.”

They all gathered around Sam’s phone. All of the photos were your typical tourist fare; at the Parthenon, on the beach, etc. Some were not so typical, like a selfie taken while flying over the Acropolis. Having a pair of wings always nearby comes in handy for defeating Nazis and getting that perfect photo.

“When exactly did you kick all this ass you were talking about?” Natasha asked.

“There were about three people guarding that HYDRA base. We took it out in about fifteen minutes. A base that just happened to be right next to several tourist attractions.” Sam turned towards Steve. “It was almost like someone planned it that way.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Steve said. He tried to pull off a noncommittal shrug but couldn’t help smiling.

“Thanks man,” Sam said.

Steve said, “After everything you’ve done for me…I mean, you’ve basically been traveling the globe by yourself lately. You more than deserve it.”

He didn’t say that Sam was looking for Bucky. He rarely mentioned his name anymore. Everyone just knew.

All three of their cellphones rang, allowing them the perfect way out of a sad conversation.

“Maria needs us back at HQ,” Steve said, his eyes scanning his phone.

They dropped cash on the table and hurried out of the bar.

* * * * *

Tablet in hand, Maria Hill greeted them at the elevator. “We’ve got reports of an enhanced in New Orleans.”

She swiped her hand across the screen and a grainy video began to play. A black woman stood in the middle of the street. As a car sped past her, bright, white light emanated from her hands, skidded across the ground and collided with the car in a shower of sparks. The car flipped into the air and landed on the ground a few feet away.

“What the hell…” Sam muttered. “Is that lightning?”

“From what we can tell so far, she’s emitting ultraviolet light,” Maria answered.

“Look at the car,” Natasha said, pointing to the tablet screen. “The windows are blacked out and there’s no license plate.”

“The car was stolen,” Maria answered. “The two men inside were getting away from a bank robbery. They’re in the ER as we speak.”

“Well, at least she’s on our side,” Sam said. “Is this the only video?”

“There are tons more. This one went up online about an hour ago and more keep popping up. We almost can’t take them down from Vine and Instagram fast enough.”

“We’re going to need all of them to really figure her out,” Steve said. “Get any angle you can get your hands on. When we approach her, I want us to be prepared.”

With a nod, Maria started to walk away.

“Hey, have we ID’ed this woman yet?” Steve asked.

Maria nodded. “Her name’s Monica. Monica Rambeau.”


	2. Only Girl in the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve faces his Wanda problem head-on.

Fully dressed except for one shoe, Wanda sat on the floor of her bedroom. The room was a mess of clothes and books. Every morning she ended up missing some crucial item of clothing. The day before it took her twenty minutes to find her jacket. Steven did not accept that as an excuse for being late.

She spotted the missing shoe tossed aside under a chair. Extending her left hand, she pulled it to her on a pillow of red smoke. She planned to master tying her shoes without actually tying them eventually, but that day she had to settle for putting it on the old fashioned way.

She glanced at her clock, half hidden behind a stack of papers. Morning training started in five minutes. Perfect timing.

She plopped onto her bed and grabbed her laptop. After waffling between a few options, she chose to play “Only Girl in the World” by Rihanna.

Wanda jumped off her bed and onto the floor. In rhythm with the song’s techno beat; she waved her arms around, red smoke emerging from her fingertips. In one motion she lit candles she’d scattered around the room. With another, she lifted them into the air.

Laughing, she threw her head back, singing and dancing along to the song.

Five minutes, four minutes, three minutes, then two, then one. Bathed in light, she danced all alone with a good song and her magic.

Then the song ended. With a few flicks of her wrists, she extinguished the candles and placed them back in their rightful places. She bounded out of her bedroom but stopped herself when she reached the front door of her apartment. She took a deep breath before stepping into the hallway.

Slowly and deliberately, Wanda made her way out of the housing wing of headquarters to the training center. Everyone was there. Everyone was always there. Trying to prove they were the fastest, the strongest, or the most committed.

Wanda wasn’t immune to posturing. Every day she showed up flowy skirts and combat boots instead of workout clothes wearing eyeliner as if it was war paint. She wasn’t trying to prove her worth. What was she trying to prove? To be determined.

With her head down, she hurried into the Training Visualization Room. Some of the others called it the Danger Room. A professor in Westchester helped set it up.

It was a three story space that with the aid of holograms could mimic almost any location or scenario. In that moment the room was asleep as Wanda liked to say. It was nothing but a tall white box.

Steven and Lieutenant Rhodes were already there. Samuel and Natasha were off somewhere. Someone needed their help. Someone like Wanda, Samuel had said.

Wanda doubted that. The only person like her was gone.

“Wanda?”

She turned around to see the Vision walking towards her. Well, he didn’t so much walk as glide.

“Having a bad day?” he asked.

“Just a day,” she answered.

He nodded as if he understood, but he was practically a baby. How could he? “Do you want to hear a joke?” he asked.

“A joke? Sure.”

“Why did the picture go to jail?” Vision asked. “Because it was framed.”

She didn’t want to, but a large red man in a cape telling such a childish joke got a smile out of her.

“Looks like someone’s in a good mood,” Steven said. He was getting too good at sneaking up on her.

“I suppose,” Wanda said, no longer smiling. “Is it time for training to start?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Steven said with a sigh. “Let’s run Onslaught Trial 7.”

 

 *****

 

You cannot defeat Onslaught Trial 7. The goal isn’t to win, but to survive for as long as possible against a horde of digital soldiers.

It was Wanda’s favorite trial.

She ran around the edge of the room, destroying soldier after soldier with magical blasts.

“Wanda!” Steven shouted. “Duck!”

She crouched down just as his shield flew over her head and took out five soldiers running towards her. Steven chased after his shield, picked it up one-handed and then bounded off a nearby wall. He jumped at least ten feet into the air, took out a few more soldiers with his shield and landed back on the ground like it was nothing.

In his War Machine armor, Lieutenant Rhodes flew above Wanda’s head. He shot at the horde with guns mounted on his arms. To her left, Vision fired beams of infrared light from his hands, taking out a large group of soldiers all it once. Then he flew into the air to help Lieutenant Rhodes.

Wanda sighed. Even with all her power, she’d barely mustered floating a few feet off the ground.

But then again….

“Vision, can I get a lift?” she shouted.

He flew down to her and swooped her up into the air with him.

Side by side they fought, sometimes even combining their powers into red balls of destructive energy.

It was actually fun.

Too much fun.

“Put me down!” she shouted.

Vision asked, “Wanda, what’s wrong?”

“Just put me down!”

He gently placed her on the feet. Wanda tore out of the room, taking out every soldier in her path on her way out.

 

  *****

 

It didn’t take long for Steven to find her. She didn’t make it very far out of the building before plopping down on the grass anyway.

He said, “We’re going on a field trip.”

“What?”

“Let’s go. Now.” He walked off, leaving Wanda to follow him.

 

 *****

 

About an hour later, they were walking up the grand marble stairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“What are we doing here?” Wanda asked. Steven had barely spoken to her on the car ride over, but she gave it a shot anyway.

He shrugged. “I like art.”

They breezed by the front desk attendant, who seemed to know Steven. He led her through several galleries and up a flight of stairs. Then he sat down in front of a large abstract painting and motioned for Wanda to sit down next to him.

“Do you like this painting?” Wanda asked.

“Not really a fan of Jackson Pollack actually,” Steven said. “But it’s quiet here. Sometimes I need quiet.”

“And you brought _me_ here?” Wanda asked. “Why?”

“I have no idea,” he answered. “I don’t know what to say to you most of the time to be honest. I thought maybe here I’d get some sort of clarity and the right words would come to me. Sam told me to just leave you alone, but apparently I just can’t do that so…,” he gestured around the empty gallery, “here we are. And I’ve got nothing.”

An awkward silence fell after that. Eventually Wanda asked, “What kind of art do you like?”

Steven perked up. “Well, since you asked.”

He led her through the museum, pointing out his favorite works. He never took a wrong turn or missed a beat. Wanda on the other hand was more and more confused with each passing piece of art.

By the fifth painting that she did not understand no matter how she looked at it, Wanda realized something. "I'm sorry. I don't get it. I see that you love it, but I just do not get it."

Steven shrugged. "Picasso isn't for everyone. No artist is."

"And that's okay with you?" she asked.

He nodded.

"So maybe it's okay that you don't get me," Wanda said.

Steven opened his mouth to respond, but stopped himself and simply raised his eyebrows.

"I don't always understand you either," she said. "And I’ve been in your head.”

Steve flinched.

“Sorry for bringing that up,” Wanda said.

“No, it’s…well, it’s not okay but it’s in the past,” he said.

“Is it really in the past?” she asked. “Does it still bother you?”

“The past itself bothers me,” he said. “You don’t bother me. You I worry about.”

“Why?” she asked. “I was not on my best behavior today and I apologize for that. But you frequently associate with gods. You’ve seen worse than me.”

“You have a point there,” Steven said with a nod. “But I never thought Thor didn’t want to be here. He’s not around every day, but when he’s here he’s _here_.”

"If I didn't want to be an Avenger, I wouldn't be," Wanda said. “Some days are worse than others. Today was not a good day.”

She looked down when she felt tears coming as if Steven wouldn’t notice. She took a deep breath and pushed the tears away. “I really like it here, but he’s not here. Sometimes for just a little while I can forget, but when I remember…it hurts. A lot.”

She didn’t say Pietro. Everyone knew who she was talking about anyway.

For a long moment he didn’t answer. But then he said, “I understand.”

“I won’t walk out on training like that again,” Wanda said. “I can promise you that.”

“And I’ll take Sam’s advice and give you some space,” Steven said. “Deal?”

He held out his hand and she shook it.

“Well, since I’ve brought you on the worst field trip of all time, why don’t you decide what happens next?” Steven suggested.

Wanda shrugged. “Lunch?”

“Lunch it is.” With that he led them out of the museum and towards the best cheese burger Wanda had ever had.

 

***** 

 

Meanwhile in New Orleans, Monica Rambeau tossed a duffel bag into the backseat of her car.

“I gave them two days!” she shouted into her cell phone.

“That’s not really enough time Monica,” the person on the other end of the call, a man, said.

“Jon, they’re the Avengers,” Monica said. “We saw all New York. We all saw those files when they hit the ‘net. I know I saw a freakin’ Hellicarrier crash into the Potomac. They can find me if they want to find me.”

Tossing her long, braided hair over her shoulder, Monica climbed into the driver’s seat of her car.

“Monica, I know you’re antsy, but what are you going to do, just show up at the Avengers Tower and bum rush your way in?” Jon asked.

“That’s the plan,” she said.

Jon sighed. “And nothing I say will change your mind, will it?”

“You know me so well.”

“All right. Give ‘em hell then,” he said. “Call me when you get to New York.”

“I will. Thanks for having my back, partner.”

“What kind of partner would I be if I didn’t?”

Monica smiled as they exchanged goodbyes. Jon wasn’t just her partner in the New Orleans Harbor Patrol, he was one of her closest friends. The Avengers seemed pretty great, but they weren’t him.  

She tossed her cell phone into the passenger seat and started the car. When she looked into the rearview mirror, she spotted a woman standing behind her car. Her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

Monica scrambled to get out of the car. “Please tell me you’re Natasha Romanoff,” she said.

Natasha nodded. “We need to talk.”


	3. Monica and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before she can become an Avenger, Monica Rambeau has to make it out of New Orleans.

_You are standing in front of Natasha Romanoff_ , Monica thought.  _Do not embarrass yourself_.

Natasha pulled out a cell phone. She quickly typed something and thrust the phone into Monica's hands.

"We're being watched," Monica read. "Get back in the car."

Monica's first instinct was to look around.

Natasha shook her head no. "Get. In. The. Car," she mouthed.

Making a note to never make an assassin tell you something twice, Monica climbed back into her car. Natasha slid into the passenger seat.

"They're two of them," Natasha said. She angled Monica's rearview mirror so both women could see two men dressed in all black.

"How do you know they're watching us?" Monica asked.

"I'm very good at what I do," Natasha answered. "Now listen to me and do exactly what I say. Drive out of the parking garage and turn left. Do not speed."

Once Monica pulled the car out of the parking garage and onto the street, Natasha asked, "Now, do you have any weapons? Or anything that can be used as a weapon?"

"There's a gun in the glove compartment and another in the trunk."

Natasha smiled. "I like you already."

Natasha pulled the small handgun out of the glove compartment, gave it an approving nod as if it passed some test and loaded it.

“This is yours,” Natasha said. She rolled up her pant leg and un-holstered another gun. “And this is mine.”

Monica glanced up at the rearview mirror again. "There’s a white van following us,” she said.

“Of course there is,” Natasha said. “Good thing we’re following them too.”

“Huh?”

“Look again. Do you see a black SUV behind us?” Natasha asked.

Monica nodded.

“My friend Sam is in there. There are very few people who I trust to have my back and he’s one of them.” Natasha glanced up at the rearview mirror again. “Now hold on tight.”

Natasha rolled back the car’s sun roof and stood up. Through the rearview mirror, Monica saw the black SUV pull up alongside the white van. She also saw Natasha fire two shots at the van’s tires. The van slid into the next lane and sideswiped the SUV but kept going.

“Shit, run flat tires,” Natasha said.

“I can help,” Monica said. “But we’re going to have to switch places.”

Natasha dropped back down into her seat. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“It’s your show then.”

So with Natasha firmly grasping the wheel, Monica climbed onto the roof of the car through the sunroof. Her eyes closed, she muttered, “Please work. Please work. Please work,” as she conjured up a ball of microwave energy.

The energy exploded from her finger tips and struck the van, immediately melting its tires.

“Hold on!” Natasha yelled. The car spun around 180 degrees and stopped.

Monica turned around to see Natasha and a man that had to be Sam run up to the van with guns drawn. She conjured up another ball of energy, ready to strike.

“Whatever you’re thinking about doing, don’t,” Natasha said.

The two men immediately surrendered.

*****

Pulled off on the side of a road far outside of the city, Natasha had a little conversation as she called it with the two men from the SUV. There was a lot of screaming involved in her conversations apparently.

“Don’t worry about that,” Sam said, stepping between Monica and the SUV. “Tell me about you. Tell me about your powers.”

“There was a lab accident,” Monica answered. “And now I can control energy, all kinds of energy. I can even become energy I think. I don’t have it all figured out.”

“Wow. How’d you even end up at the lab?”

“I’m a detective with the New Orleans Harbor Police,” she explained. “My partner Jon and were investigating smugglers moving drugs into the city on barges and we traced them back to this place called Ascendance Labs. We were there to arrest them and…boom. The explosion almost took out the entire building.”

“And your partner?”

“He…uh…he lost an arm,” Monica said. “He’s doing okay, but…” She shook her head, unable to finish the sentence.

“It’s just different,” Sam said.

“Yeah, something like that.”

Natasha walked up to them. “Those two were paid in cash to snatch you Monica and take you to a ship. They had a stash of meds in their van, so they were prepared to keep you knocked out for quite a while.” She held up a cellphone with a cracked screen. “I got the ship’s location from one of their phones.”

“Who do they work for?” Monica asked.

“They couldn’t give me a name,” Natasha answered. “Could be any number of organizations really. Now that you’ve revealed yourself and your powers, groups will probably be coming out of the woodwork in droves trying to get their hands on you.” When Monica’s eyes widened in shock, she quickly added, “Or maybe not.”

“Let’s just go scope out that ship,” Sam suggested.

The cell phone beeped, indicating a new text message. All three people gathered around the phone to read it.

“There aren’t any words, just a picture,” Natasha said. With a few swipes of her fingers across the screen, she pulled up a full screen view of the image.

“That’s Jon’s rehab center!” Monica exclaimed.

*****

“Hill just sent us an infrared view of the rehab center,” Sam said. He sat in the passenger seat of the SUV while Natasha drove. Monica sat in the backseat. “There are a lot of people in there. This is going to be tricky.”

“Fire alarm?” Natasha asked.

“Maybe,” Sam said. “What do you think Monica?”

“Yeah, sounds like a good idea,” she mumbled.

“Monica, you ok?” Sam asked.

“Of course I’m not,” she answered. “This is all my fault. I just wanted to make something good out of a fucked up situation and instead I fucked it up some more.”

Sam said, “Monica, it’s not…”

“I don’t really need a pep talk,” she said. “I may be sulking right now, but I know what we have to do. Just tell me where to go and what to do so I can get my friend back.”

For a long moment no one said a word. Then Natasha said, “You heard the lady Sam. Let’s think of a plan.”

*****

When the trio arrived at the rehab center, Monica spotted Jon sitting outside on a park bench.

"What the hell?" she mumbled, a smile spreading across her face. "It actually worked."

"That was a damn good plan Sam," Natasha said.

"Eh, I have my moments," he said.

As soon as the SUV stopped, Monica hopped out and ran towards her friend.

"I had the weirdest day today," Jon said. "Three goons took me hostage, but as soon as they heard about, and I quote, 'Some crazy woman with laser beams', they just let me go."

Monica just stood there, taking him in. Same brown skin, deep brown eyes, and close cropped hair. Check, check, check. Then she noticed the prosthetic he usually wore on his left arm was gone. "Have anything else you want to tell me about your day?"

"It can be fixed," Jon said. "Stop staring at me and sit. I have a feeling your day was even weirder than mine."

Monica sat down next to him. "Weird is definitely the right word for it. Terrifying is another."

"Are you okay?"

"Now? Yeah, I am."

"So, what's next?" Jon asked. "You guys going to New York?"

"Maybe they are, but I'm not," she said, shaking her head. "I am so done with all of this."

"Monica, it's been one day."

"Yeah and in that one day I almost got you killed," she said.

"Hey," he said, placing his right hand over hers. "It's okay if you're afraid, but you will not use me to run away from this."

"I'm not..."

"That is exactly what you're doing."

"I'm just doing myself a favor," Monica said with a sigh. "I'm not built for this. I don't know what I'm doing."

"And since when has that ever stopped you?" Jon asked.

Monica rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean," he said. "You are brave, you are resilient, and you are powerful. If there is something you want, you always get it because you put in the work. It doesn't matter if you don't know what to do now. You will soon."

He brushed one of her braids out of her face. "To me, you are already an Avenger," he said. "Go get 'em."

She didn't know what to say to that, so she just hugged him. 

It took her a minute, but she was able to pull away from him and get off the bench.

"Goodbye Jon," she said. "Stay safe."

"I've never felt safer in my entire life," he said.

With a sigh, she turned away from him and headed back to the SUV. She didn't get very far before she turned back around. "Hey, those goons didn't happen to mention who they worked for did they?" she asked.

“One of them said something about Aim.”

“Aim? What the hell is that?”

He shrugged. "Looks like that's for you to find out."

"Yeah, I guess so." With that, she finally stepped into the SUV and away from her old life.

*****

With a misguided field trip behind him, Steve was looking forward to a few hours alone to question every decision he’d made in his life. Unfortunately a woman was waiting for him in the lobby when he returned to HQ.

“Captain Rogers,” she said.

“Agent Carter,” he said. “Nice to see you.”

"Nice to see you too Steve," Sharon said. “Thought I'd pay you and your shiny new digs a visit.”

“This place is pretty nice,” Steve said. “The best Tony Stark’s money can buy.”

“Lucky you,” she said. “I’ll take the CIA over the SHIELD I worked for any day, but I would kill for your expense account.”

“You only say that because you’ve never worked with Tony,” he said. “So, what brings you all the way to New York? Can’t just be the building.”

“Well, actually it’s you.”

 


	4. Baby Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You'd think AIM would be the biggest of Steve Rogers' problems. You'd be wrong.

Sharon Carter stood in front of a floor to ceiling book case in Steve’s office. “You have copies of unauthorized biographies about yourself?” she asked.

“Yeah, why not,” Steve said, leaning against a desk he rarely sat down at. “ _Red, White and Untrue: What They Aren’t Telling You About Captain America_ is a personal favorite.”

“What aren’t they telling us?” she asked.

“The author can’t decide if I’m secretly a vampire or a member of the Illuminati…whatever that is.”

“You don’t want to know,” Sharon said.

“Wait…that’s real?” he asked. When Sharon nodded, he said, “And I thought I was ahead of the curve ‘cause I’ve met Blade.”

“You've met him?”

“Tried to recruit him. He is decidedly not interested. But that’s a long story for another day.” Steve waved away the thought. “What did you want to talk to me about? Do I have another stalker? Is it that doomsday cult again?”

“It’s nothing serious really,” she said. “It’s just that I’m going to be in New York for a few days and it’s your old stomping ground, so I was wondering if you’d show me around.”

“Uh…I guess I could,” Steve said. “But, you know, I just moved back to Brooklyn and I still get lost every day so I might not be the best tour guide. I mean, unless you want to hear stories about what all the bakeries and pottery shops used to be back in ’42 and complaints about inflation.”

“Actually, that sounds nice.”

“It does?”

“Yes, Steve,” she said, stifling a laugh. “I know it may come as a shock to you but you’re a nice guy and people like talking to you. I know I do.”

“Eh, I’m all right,” he said. He tried to toss the words off coolly but suddenly he didn’t know what to do with his arms. He ended up just crossing them over his chest. “But…uh….if you really want to, I can show you around.”

“Why don’t we meet tomorrow around seven?” she asked. She reached over him to pluck a stack of post-its and a pen off his desk and scribbled down an address. “This is where I’m staying. You already have my cellphone number right?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“And yet you never call,” she said, shaking her head. She took the post-it and stuck it to his chest. “See you tomorrow Rogers.”

“Shit,” Steve muttered to himself as she walked out of his office.

*****

The next morning, Steve stood on the helipad on top of HQ. What a difference a few hours made. The day before his biggest worry had been how not to make a fool of himself around Sharon that night. And now there was a chance AIM was back. Not that he wasn’t also thinking about not making a fool of himself. Unfortunately even treacherous think tanks couldn’t push that from his mind.

In his War Machine armor, Rhodey flew into view. He landed on the helipad near Steve.

Rhodey flipped back the armor’s face plate. “I came as soon as I heard. AIM is really back?”

“Could be,” Steve said. “Come on.”

They stashed the armor and headed up to Steve’s office on the top level. Almost everyone was already there. Natasha and Maria had taken claim to the couch, after what was surely a highly competitive game of paper, scissors, rock. Vision wasn’t exactly the meeting type, so Steve wasn’t surprised when he didn’t see him. He was however surprised to see Wanda, opening a soda for Sam with a flourish of red mist. When she saw Steve, she gave him a nod.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about today, so let’s get this meeting started,” Steve said.

Natasha raised her hand, implying that she was giving everyone a chance to shut up and listen to her rather than asking permission to speak. “I have a question. Is AIM still a problem because Tony is better at creating enemies than defeating them?”

“Hey!” Rhodey objected.

“Well, I think it’s a good question,” Maria said.

Steve glanced at Wanda, who looked uncomfortable. He said, “We’ve got a busy day today, so let’s save the jokes for the end, okay? Any legitimate questions?”

When no one raised their hand, Steve continued, “Like Natasha said in her own Natasha way, AIM just might be a problem again. We only have the word of one man to go on right now, but considering their track record we can’t ignore this.” Steve started to walk around the room. “Now, we all thought AIM died with Aldridge Killian, but the company had a lot of capital. It’s very possible that someone got their hands on that money with plans to continue his work through underground channels.”

“How does Monica Rambeau fit into all this?” Maria asked. “She got her powers in an explosion at Ascendance Labs right? Do we know if Ascendance and AIM are connected?”

“It’s highly likely,” Steve said.

“They could be competitors though,” Natasha said.

“I’ve seen in person what Monica can do,” Sam said. “Connection or no connection, some serious shit is going down.”

“Which is why we’re taking this seriously,” Steve said. With that, he gave everyone their assignments. Rhodey and Maria were going to LA also known as Tony Stark duty while Sam and Wanda were headed to Ascendance Labs’ headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina.

When the meeting was dismissed, Steve practically had to chase Natasha down to talk to her. “Hey, do you have a minute?” he asked.

“Not really. I’m supposed to be giving Monica a tour of HQ in about five minutes.”

“You volunteered to do that?” Steve asked incredulously.

“What? I like her,” Natasha said with a shrug.

Steve didn’t even know how to respond to Natasha liking anyone on first sight, so he just said, “Catch me later then.”

Natasha ran off before he could think of anything else to say to her.

*****

Later that day, Natasha caught up with Steve on the track outside HQ. “For someone who wanted to talk to me, you’ve been very hard to track down today.” She tossed him a bottled water she’d brought with her. “So, what’s going on? It’s got to be important if you’re sad running.”

“Sad running?” Steve asked.

“Oh, it’s just something Sam and I talk about behind your back,” she said. “Don’t worry about it.”

Steve sighed.

“Stop making that face and tell me what’s going on.”

“I think Sharon asked me out,” Steve said.

“I can’t believe you’re just telling me that now! That’s great! I’ve been trying to get you to go out with her for months!”

“Is it really great?” he asked. “I mean, AIM might be back. I don’t think I have time for this right now.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Tony, Rhodey and Pepper took out AIM the first time in polo shirts and cargo pants so I think we’ve got this. And besides, you deserve at least one night to be a regular person who does regular things like go out on dates. You’ve earned it.”

“I’ve been plenty regular.”

“Since when?”

“After the Chitauri invasion, I’d just been defrosted and everyone was throwing themselves at me. Things got a little interesting.”

“So, what? You had a couple of one night stands and now you’re done for life?”

“I’m not done for life. I’m just saying maybe it’s not the right time. Maybe it’s not the right person.”

“Oh, so that’s what this is all about,” Natasha said. “It’s about Peggy.”

“She is Sharon’s aunt. It’s weird, right?”

“Just don’t compare their kissing styles and I think you’ll be cool,” Natasha said with a shrug.

“Ugh! Why did you have to say that?”

“Because I enjoy fucking with you,” she said. “But seriously, just go out with her. If it’s not right, you’ll know. But you won’t know until you try.”

Steve’s smartwatch beeped. He glanced at the display and said, “Jane Foster’s calling. I’ve got to take this.”

He literally ran away to get out of his conversation with Natasha.

*****

When his smartwatch screen just would not do, Steve went to his office to video chat with Jane.

"Jane, what's up?" Steve asked.

She sat behind a desk at her lab. As for where that lab was, Steve didn't know. Jane was always on the move. "Just wondering if you'd gotten my report," she said.

"Report?"

"Yeah, about Monica Rambeau. I emailed it to you a few hours ago.”

"I sent you those videos last night," Steve said.

Jane shrugged. "I had a few spare hours."

Steve checked his email and sure enough Jane had sent him a message…with a 35 page PDF file attached. "A few, huh?"

“It really wasn’t that much work,” she said, waving him away. "I can come to New York in a few days if you need me to evaluate her powers in person." When Steve didn't immediately answer, she added, "Please say yes. I was trying to seem cool and unaffected just now, but I really want to do it."

Steve laughed. “Honestly I was a little caught off-guard. Do you even have the time?"

"Nope, but for the Avengers I will make the time."

"Well, we’ll open up a lab for you.”

Steve heard a door open.

Jane turned and called out, "Hey, sweetie!"

The unmistakable voice of Thor answered, "I come with sustenance!"

"I'm on a video chat with Steve," she said. 

“Steven?” Thor asked. Seconds later he appeared on the video chat. “Brother! How have you been?”

"Pretty good, man," Steve said. He didn't know what it was about Thor, but he was a blast to be around even via video chat. He always brought to smile to Steve's face.

"What is the purpose of today's missive?" Thor asked. "Mayhem perhaps?" 

"No, no mayhem," Steve answered.

Obviously disappointed, Thor shook his head. 

"Turns out you're not the only one around who can control energy," Jane said.

Thor raised an eyebrow. "Friend or foe?"

"Her name's Monica and she's a friend," Steve said. "Even Natasha likes her."

"She must be a marvel then," Thor said.

"You can meet her yourself if you want," Jane said, relaying the just-made plans for her to come to HQ.

"I do enjoy your city of New York," Thor said with a nod. "You must visit as well Steven. Switzerland does not compare to Asgard, but it is delightful in its own way."

"Oh, that's where you are now?" Steve asked. "Last I heard it was Osaka."

"We were in Osaka, then Prague, now Bern," Jane said.

"Prague? We were certainly not in Prague," Thor said.

"Yes, we were sweetie."

“I know it was not Prague because the chocolate there was transcendent,” Thor said. “The chocolate in Prague is merely edible."

"You rate countries based on their chocolate?” Jane asked.

"You do not?”

They went back and forth for a bit, trying to figure out where in the hell they'd been. Steve wouldn't call it an argument; there was too much smiling and laughing for that.

Finally Thor said, "I believe we were in Austria."

"Yes, that's it!” Jane exclaimed. “Remember when you had it out with that ticket agent in Vienna?"

"I do not apologize," Thor said. "Midgardian travel is very inefficient. At the very least I would like your airplanes as you call them to depart in a timely fashion."

Steve sensed another spirited discussion was about to happen, so he loudly cleared his throat.

“Sorry,” Jane said.

"I also apologize," Thor said. "However, I will never apologize to American Airlines."

Jane shook her head. "Do you need anything else Steve?"

"Not right now. Maria will contact you so you can iron out the details of your visit.”

"See you soon," Jane said.

With a wave from her and Thor, Jane ended the chat.

*****

Steve made a decision. He wasn't sure when he made it. Maybe it was after his conversation with Natasha. Maybe after his video chat with Jane and Thor. Whenever it happened, it was done. Well, it would be done once he mustered up the nerve to see it through. Considering he was standing in a hotel lobby waiting for Sharon, he needed to do that soon.

He saw her as soon as she stepped off the elevator wearing blue jeans and a t shirt. He’d never seen her in casual clothes before. It was a good look.

She smiled when she saw him. “So, where are we starting the tour?” she asked.

"I was thinking dinner," Steve said. "But before we leave, I just want to say one thing.”

“Oh? That sounds serious.”

“Not serious just, I don’t know, declarative,” he said. “If it’s okay with you, could we just call this what it is? Can we call it a date?”

“That is definitely okay with me.”

Smiling, Steve held out his hand for her to take. “Let’s go.”

Hand in hand they walked out of the hotel lobby.

*****

Meanwhile, Sam was on his way to North Carolina in one of the Avengers’ quinjets. Wanda had fallen asleep before takeoff, so he’d been amusing himself with Candy Crush (unlocked to provide unlimited lives by Tony) on his phone.

An email notification popped up, halting his imminent defeat of Level 597. He expected to see mission logistics from Maria Hill or something silly from Natasha, but instead the sender was someone he hadn’t heard from in ages. He didn’t even read the subject of the email. He was too stuck on the sender’s last name.

Riley.


	5. Something Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A phone call from Riley's sister sends Sam into a tailspin.

With this cellphone pressed to his ear, Sam paced back and forth. Considering he was standing in a quinjet he didn’t have far to walk, but he paced regardless.

He said, “I know it’s been awhile since we've talked. I’m so sorry about that.”

“No, it’s okay,” Samantha Riley said. “I get it.”

“So…how are you Sam #2?” Sam asked.

She laughed. He hadn’t heard her laugh in a very long time. “No one’s called me that in ages,” she said. “I’ve missed you Sam.”

“I’ve missed you too.”

For a long moment no one said anything. Finally Samantha said, “Well, I called you because I have good news. I’m getting married!”

“Married? To Brendan?”

“Yes, to Brendan,” Samantha said. “And don’t say his name like that. He’s my fiancé now.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re rolling your eyes,” she said.

Sam had rolled his eyes when he said that boy’s name. The last time he’d seen Samantha’s now fiancé he was a 22 year old with no common sense. Certainly not good enough for Riley’s baby sister. But that was three years ago.

Sam sighed. “I’ll work on it.”

“You better. I don’t want you ruining my pictures when you walk me down the aisle.”

Sam stopped pacing. “You want me to do what?”

“I want you to walk me down the aisle,” she repeated.

“What about your father?”

“Being an asshole, as usual,” Samantha said. “I didn’t even bother to ask him.”

“But you asked me? I mean, you’re asking me. Right now.”

“Of course,” she said. “I know we haven’t spoken much lately, but you’re like a brother to me Sam. With David gone…it’s you. I didn’t even think to ask anyone else.”

Hearing Riley’s first name on top of everything else was like a punch in the gut. Sam sat down in the closest seat.

“Sam, are you still there?” Samantha asked.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m here,” he answered.

“So, will you do it?”

“Of course I will Samantha. It would be my honor.”

She excitedly shared wedding details with him before ending the call with a flurry of “thank yous” and a promise to call again soon.

Only then in complete silence did the reality of what he’d agreed to sink in. In a month he’d be surrounded by Riley’s entire family. And he wouldn’t just be a guest. He’d be right smack dab in the middle of everything.

Slumping down in his seat, Sam muttered, “Fuck.”

 * * * *

A few hours later, Sam and Wanda were settled in at their safe house in Raleigh. They wouldn’t be taking a look around Ascendance Labs’ headquarters until nightfall, so that left plenty of time to strategize. Or in Sam’s case, to think about Riley. To think about what happened to Riley. Years later, Sam could still remember it so vividly. He doubted he would ever forget.

He needed to get the hell out of that tiny house. He needed to fly.

“Wanda, I’m going to…uh…to some surveillance!” he yelled.

He’d grabbed his Falcon wings and was almost out the door when Wanda called out, “Hey!”

“Whatever it is, it’s going to have to wait,” Sam said.

“We just got a video call from Steven,” she said. “It’s important.”

Sam sighed and dropped his gear.

“Samuel, are you all right?” Wanda asked.

“I’m fine,” he said. He pushed past her to where they’d set up a computer in the living room of the house. On the screen he saw Steve sitting behind his desk and Helen Cho walking back and forth behind him.

He put on his best “casual Sam” face like nothing was wrong. “I didn’t know you were back from Korea, Dr. Cho. What’s going on?”

She didn’t stop pacing when she answered, “I just got back. Thank goodness I did.”

"We have a problem," Steve said. "Helen's brother works for Ascendance Labs."

"His name is Amadeus," Helen said. "He's 17 and he just finished his first year at Cal Tech. He was so excited when he got an internship there." She shook her head. "I should've known something was wrong when they offered him a Tesla."

"Ascendance Labs gave your brother a hundred thousand dollar car as a perk for an internship?" Sam asked.

"My brother is very smart; one of the smartest people on this planet in fact," Helen explained. "There was a bidding war for him. In the end it was between Ascendance and Google. We all got swept up in it. I can't even judge him for being a kid wooed by a fancy new car because I was too. I told him to pick Ascendance."

She stopped pacing and leaned against the wall with a sigh.

Steve spun around his office chair to face her. "Do not blame yourself for this Helen. And we're the Avengers. We are going to get your brother back here safe and sound."

Helen looked up and locked eyes with Sam. It didn't matter that they were separated by hundreds of miles. Her fear and pain were so evident. "I promise," Sam said.

Helen nodded.

"Where is your brother right now?" Wanda asked.

Helen answered, "He's at a career fair at the University of North Carolina: Chapel Hill."

"We can be there in twenty minutes," Sam said.

  * * * *

Almost exactly twenty minutes later, Sam and Wanda arrived at the career fair. It was being held in a conference center. At least five hundred college kids were there, trying to pitch themselves to over fifty companies set up in booths. Ascendance Labs' booth was right up front. Every student who came by, and there were many, left with a gift bag and was entered into a raffle for a new Macbook Pro. All the students had to do was hand over their resume.

Right in the middle of it all was Amadeus Cho. He looked just like a photo Helen had given him; tall, skinny with an impeccably styled faux hawk. Dressed in one of those too-cliché-to-be-ironic-anymore tuxedo t shirts and blue jeans, he chatted up every student who came to the booth. All smiles and radiating confidence, he was the perfect person to recruit more kids just like him.

"I do not like this," Wanda said, shaking her head. "I do not like this at all."

Sam felt his chest tighten. One teenage boy was one thing. But how were they going to stop Ascendance Labs from replacing him with who knows how many others? He struggled to take a deep breath, but just couldn’t get enough air.

“Samuel, are you all right?” Wanda asked.

He closed his eyes and finally was able to take a deep breath. “I’m fine.”

“I do not believe you.”

“I’m fine,” Sam repeated. “Are you ready?”

"For what?” she asked. “We can’t be sticking with the original plan. I refuse to save Amadeus and leave who knows who else behind."

"We'll start with the original plan and move on from there," Sam said. "No one will be left behind."

Wanda's eyes narrowed. "Can you really promise that?"

“Maybe I’m not having the best day, but that doesn't mean I can't get the job done," he said. "So again I ask, are you ready?"

Wanda tugged on the button down shirt she'd worn to blend in with the crowd. "From the way Helen describes him, Amadeus practically has superhuman abilities. He's so smart he can calculate probabilities in his head. He will probably see me coming." She looked Sam right in the eye. "Good thing I can see him too."

With her head held high, she marched up to Ascendance's booth. Amadeus did spot her. And then he turned and looked right at Sam.

Sam thought Amadeus would make a run for it, but that kid was full of surprises. Instead he simply nodded at Sam, excused himself from the booth and headed towards the closest exit.

  * * * *

"Even I didn't expect for a few Avengers to show up," Amadeus said. "But I guess it makes sense." He leaned against a tree outside the convention center, snacking on a hot dog from a nearby food truck as he spoke.

"Why does it make sense?" Wanda asked.

"Ascendance is super evil," Amadeus said. "That's the kind of thing you guys stop, right?"

"You know what they're up to?" Sam asked, fighting the urge to slap the hot dog out of his hand.

"Well, I don't know about all of their evil plans, but after that explosion in New Orleans I figured they were not up a whole lot of good," Amadeus said. "From what I can tell, they were trying to power something. Something big."

"How do you even know about that?" Sam asked.

Amadeus pulled his smart phone out of his pocket. "I hacked their servers about a week into my internship just to see if I could and I stumbled on to it. They have some serious protocols in place that even I couldn't crack, but I have access to at least a third of their top secret files."

"I do not understand what you are saying," Wanda said, speaking for herself and Sam.

"I hacked their system the same way you hack into peoples' heads," Amadeus said. "Wanda Maximoff."

She scowled, clenching her fists.

"Hey, hey, hey. I take it back." Amadeus held his hands in surrender. "I was just trying to explain. No harm done right?"

Wanda shook her head no.

Sam sighed. "Among other things, she didn't need you to explain what hacking is. We both want to know why the hell you chose to spy on Ascendance instead of getting the hell out of there."

Amadeus shrugged. "I had to do something. I had to help."

"How exactly are you helping?" Sam asked. "Seems to me like you're just watching them. And you're actually helping them recruit more brilliant kids just like you to do who knows what."

"Hey, I've been throwing all those resumes in the trash!" Amadeus said. "And I think I'd know if I was involved in some nefarious experiment."

"What if _you_ are the experiment?" Wanda asked.

"I....I hadn't thought of that," Amadeus said.

"Of course you hadn't," Sam said. "Because you're a child who's in over his head."

"I'm seventeen!" Amadeus said with a pout that only proved Sam's point. "How old were you when you enlisted, Sam Wilson?"

Sam really did knock the hot dog out of his hand then.

"Hey! I..." Amadeus trailed off when Sam walked right up him; their faces a few inches apart.

"This is not a game, so stop playing right the hell now," Sam said. "I did enlist when I was around your age. I understand that you're doing what you think is right. I also know that you do not understand the consequences of your actions. I didn't. I didn't understand what joining the army really meant. The things I would do...the people I would lose."

Amadeus opened his mouth to talk. Sam shook his head no.

"You are very smart, but you don't know everything, including when it's best to shut up and listen," Sam said. "No one knows everything. That's why we work together."

"So come with us," Wanda said, conjuring up her signature red mist. "Now."

 

Back at the safe house, Amadeus had his hands full with his sister dressing him down via video chat.

"Are you insane?!" Helen exclaimed. "Wait until I tell our parents about this! You are coming back to Seoul immediately! Immediately!" After that she switched to Korean, but there was no translation needed. 

Leaning against the door frame, Sam chuckled. He'd needed a good laugh.

Wanda walked up to him carrying a tablet. "Steven wants to talk to you."

"Just me?"

She nodded and handed him the tablet.

Something about the look in her eye didn't sit right with Sam. "What did you say to him?" he asked.

"Nothing," she answered, walking away before he could ask her any more questions.

With a sigh, Sam slipped into one of the bedrooms to start up the video chat. He was tempted to put back on his "everything's okay" mask, but this was Steve he was talking to. There was no need to lie. So with a resigned "Hey man" he began the chat.

Steve's face fell. "You're really not okay," he said. "I thought maybe Wanda was worried over nothing, but you're really not okay."

"Today's been...not great," Sam admitted before telling Steve the whole story. He ended with, "It's not even that today is so horrible. It's just can't stop thinking about Riley. There's this weight on me that just makes everything that much more of a struggle. And the thing is, if someone in my therapy group was telling me this, I'd know exactly what to say to them. Because I know what's wrong. I know it won't just magically go away. But goddamn it Steve, I wish it would just go away. Just so I can get through today. I just need to finish this today."

"Hey, look at me Sam," Steve said. "Look at me."

Sam looked up.

"You don't have to stay," Steve said. "If you need to leave, you need to leave. That does not mean you failed."

"I know that."

The look on your face says otherwise."

"Amadeus says there are a hundred interns at Ascendance right now," Sam said. "I can't just leave them."

" _We're_ not leaving them," Steve said. "This began as a surveillance mission, but it's now a rescue mission. Natasha and Vision are on their way now. They'll be there in a few hours."

"Well, that's good."

"So, do I have to make you get on that quinjet or what?" Steve asked.

"Steve..."

"Sam, go home. I insist. Are you really going to argue with Captain America?"

"Fine, I'll go. But I just have to do one more thing before I go."

"And what would that be?"

"I think I know how we can rescue those interns."

  * * * *

That evening, Sam sat in the backseat of a Town Car with his cell phone pressed to his ear.

"So it's done Nat?" he asked.

"After we showed the interns the hacked files, they couldn't get out of there fast enough," Natasha said. "The leak to the press sealed the deal. Not only are the interns out, this PR nightmare just might tank Ascendance Labs altogether."

"Wish I could've been there," Sam said.

"You know there's a video," she said. "Which I will show you when you get back."

"Nat..."

"Captain's orders," she said.

"Since when do you listen to Steve...or anyone for that matter?"

"When it comes to you, I listen," she said. "Take care of yourself Sam."

"See you later Nat," he said and ended the call.

With that out of the way, there was only one more thing for Sam to do.

He took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. He stood in the middle of Arlington Cemetery.

He hadn't been to Riley's grave in a very long time, but he still found it from memory very quickly. Someone had been there recently, and left behind a bouquet of sunflowers.

"So...uh...I know it's been a long time buddy," he said. He didn't really know what to say after that. It didn't seem right to talk about his work with the Avengers. So for a long moment he just stood there with his hands in his pockets.

Then he remembered who loved sunflowers.

"Would you believe Samantha's getting married?" Sam asked. "To Brendan?"

He sat down on the ground to continue his long overdue visit.

  * * * *

The next morning Natasha jogged through Central Park with Monica trailing behind her.

"Come on Monica! You've got to pick up your speed!"

"I’m trying!” Monica shouted back.

“Try harder!”

Natasha spotted another jogger coming towards them. Or rather someone trying and failing to pretend they were a jogger. He hadn’t pulled back his shoulder length hair so it kept falling into his face, he was wearing all black, and his shoes were all wrong for jogging.

“Another process server?” she muttered. “What have I done now?”

Putting all of SHIELD’s files online had put a target on Natasha’s back. People were coming out of the woodwork with criminal charges and lawsuits. And almost every time they caught Natasha by surprise because she just couldn’t remember every single thing she’d done. She hated being caught by surprise.

She slowed down to a stop. The faster she got the papers and Tony’s lawyers got their hands on them the better.

“Please tell me this means we’re taking a break,” Monica said once she’d caught up to her.

“Not quite.” Natasha nodded towards the other jogger.

“Adoring fan?” Monica asked.

“I wish.”

Soon the man reached them. Hoping to cut him off at the pass, Natasha said, “Let me guess, I’m being served?”

“Is your name Monica Rambeau?” the man asked.

“That’s me,” Monica said.

“Well, _you’ve_ been served.” The man slapped an envelope into Monica’s hands and ran off.

Monica just stood there, clutching the envelope long after he’d left.

“Open it,” Natasha prodded.

“Oh, right.” Monica ripped open the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. She muttered “What the hell?” as she scanned the page with her eyes.

“What does it say?” Natasha asked. “Who’s suing you?”

“Ascendance Labs. For theft of intellectual property.”


End file.
